Kaisoluchukwu Okafor-Emenike was the first child in a

big family. Her mother, Nkechi Okafor-Emenike was the brain

of this family. He was her ray of sunshine. And then, her
younger sister, Chidiebube, was just the most adorable,
cuddly, little darling. Solu couldn’t blame her mother for being
submissive to her every wish. Everyone in her family except
her mother had dimples and a pair of pointed canine teeth.
Her mother didn’t need these things as a rounded face and
neutral teeth suited her so well.
Solu lived a sad life. Her mother was suffering from HIV.
Every day, she would sweep the whole house, then make
breakfast. Usually bread and hot chocolate. Afterwards she
would deliver her mother’s food to her, but before she would
eat, Solu would bathe her mother and change her clothes.
Hopefully then, the hot chocolate would have cooled to be
lukewarm, and then she would feed her.
When that was done she would go and bathe herself
and change her clothes, then wash the laundry.
She cried a lot, sometimes all morning. Other times all
night. She would sometimes cry because of her mother’s
deteriorating health, or other times because of her brother.
Her brother, Dara had left his family one year ago for a
life on the streets. Solu and Ebube knew where he was. They
always went to him and stayed in his comfort. He was their
one sense of protection. One very rainy and foggy day, Solu
and Ebube were off to see Dara. They were just around the
ticket booth he squatted at with his gang members. Then
they spotted him through the cloudy mist. Dancing on the
road, chugging on a wine bottle. Solu soon became aware of
the loud afrobeats playing in the background of this scene.
The beat was consuming her extremely slowly. She began to
walk to him in the rhythm of the song. It sent a buzz through
her veins. Like a wave of electricity it flowed inside her. It
was as if not a single thing mattered. Then, she was jerked
away from the sweet kalopsia by horror. A bus came from
behind. The music stopped. Solu stepped deeper into the
sidewalk. Two men with the words, ‘MOPOL’ written on the
back of their vests stepped out.

“Oga, wetin dey happen here?!” the first one bellowed.

His gang members swooped in to cover for the drunken

Dara.

“Nothing, sir. It’s all fine.” his very best of friends, Jimi, said.

“Then what are these girls doing here?”

“I don’t know them, sir.” Jimi lied.

This was the first time Solu had ever heard one of her
brother’s friends lie. She turned to Dara. He was standing
there, slouching, his mouth slightly opened with his jaw
stretching outward. Then, sadly, Dara spoke.

“Oya, commot from this place. Make I no see you na people

here! Wetin be the problem, party we’re partying,” -Dara
shoved the first officer into the bus- “